Always On VPN DPC version 3.0 includes the following new functionality Always On VPN administrators are sure to find useful.
Traffic filters – Support for enabling traffic filters for both device tunnel and user tunnel are now supported in DPC, greatly simplifying the task of creating access control lists to enforce zero-trust network access (ZTNA) policies.
Enhanced security – The option to disconnect the VPN connection if the VPN server does not present a cryptobinding TLV is now enabled by default. This often-overlooked security setting ensures VPN client connections are not intercepted by detecting man-in-the-middle attacks.
Device tunnel enhancements – Administrators can now display the device tunnel connection and status in the Windows UI.
Backup connection – Always On VPN DPC now supports the configuration and deployment of a backup VPN connection, which is helpful when Always On VPN connectivity is disrupted.
Hostname routing – Administrators can now define hostnames in the routing table. Hostnames are resolved on the endpoint and converted to IP addresses for including in the routing table.
Smart card authentication – Always On VPN DPC now supports smart card authentication as an authentication option in addition to client authentication certificates.
Learn More
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The two most common VPN protocols used with Always On VPN are Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) and Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP). Each protocol has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, IKEv2 has better security options, but SSTP is more firewall-friendly and reliable.
IKEv2 with SSTP Fallback
Instead of selecting one protocol over the other, some administrators may choose to configure Always On VPN to prefer IKEv2, then fall back to SSTP if IKEv2 is unavailable. Unfortunately, there is no way to configure this using Intune, XML, or PowerShell. To change this setting, the administrator must update the VPN configuration file (rasphone.pbk) and change the value of VpnStrategy to 14. While editing a text file is easy, doing it at scale is more complicated. The setting can be changed using Intune proactive remediation or a PowerShell script. However, it’s even easier using Always On VPN DPC. Simply enable the VPN Protocol advanced setting in group policy and choose IKEv2 First, SSTP Fallback.
Interface Metric
Another common problem Always On VPN administrators encounter is name resolution, specifically when the endpoint uses a wired local connection. Here, name resolution queries may fail or return incorrect IP addresses. This happens because the wired connection has a lower network interface metric than the VPN tunnel adapter. Once again, there is no option for changing this setting using Intune or XML. Administrators can update the interface metrics using PowerShell, but it is not persistent. To fully resolve this, the administrator must edit the rasphone.pbk file. With Always On VPN DPC, enable the VPN Tunnel Metric group policy setting and enter a value lower than the wired connection to solve this problem.
IKE Mobility
The Windows VPN client includes support for IKE Mobility, which allows an IKEv2 VPN connection to reconnect automatically after a loss of network connectivity. IKE Mobility is enabled by default, and the network outage time is set to 30 minutes. However, this setting can have negative side effects, especially when VPN servers are behind a load balancer. Reducing the network outage time or disabling it completely can improve failover if a VPN server goes offline. Here again, this setting cannot be changed using Intune, XML, or PowerShell; it is only configurable in rasphone.pbk. With Always On VPN DPC, enable the Network Outage Time advanced setting in group policy and choose a value that meets your requirements.
Exclusion Routes for Office 365
Force tunneling ensures that all network traffic on the client is routed over the VPN tunnel, including Internet traffic. However, Always On VPN supports exclusion routes which allow administrators to exempt selected traffic from the VPN tunnel when force tunneling is enabled. Commonly this is configured for trusted cloud applications like Microsoft Office 365. Defining exclusion routes for cloud services is more complicated than it sounds. Many cloud services, including Microsoft Office 365, have multiple IP addresses that are constantly changing. This makes keeping Always On VPN clients updated with the correct list of IP address exclusions quite challenging. With Always On VPN DPC, administrators can enable the Exclude Office 365 from VPN group policy setting, allowing the endpoint to automatically configure the necessary exclusion routes for Office 365 IP addresses. Importantly, Always On VPN DPC periodically monitors this list of IP addresses and ensures that endpoints are continually updated with Office 365 exclusion routes as they change to ensure reliable connectivity.
IP Routing
Always On VPN administrators must define which IP addresses and networks are routed over the VPN tunnel when split tunneling is enabled. However, Intune has a known issue that may pose a challenge in some environments.
IPv6
Although IPv4 routes can be configured using the Intune UI, IPv6 routes cannot. This is because the Intune UI does not correctly validate the default IPv6 prefix length, insisting that the administrator use a value between 1 and 32. 🤦♂️
However, the Always On VPN DPC Allowed Routes group policy setting happily accepts the proper IPv6 prefix.
Route Metrics
In addition, there is no option to define the metric values for routes configured using Intune. Assigning non-default route metrics is required to resolve routing conflicts in some scenarios. Defining route metrics requires custom XML. The Always On VPN DPC Route Metric group policy settings allow administrators to define route metrics as required.
Are you interested in learning more about PowerON Platforms Always On VPN DPC? Fill out the form below, and I’ll contact you with more information. In addition, you can visit aovpndpc.com to register for an evaluation license.
Windows Always On VPN is a workload explicitly designed to be implemented and managed using Microsoft Endpoint Manager/Intune. While this is the best way to deploy and manage Always On VPN client configuration settings, it is not the only way. Administrators can also use System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) by deploying a PowerShell script and XML configuration file to configure Always On VPN. Of course, it’s always possible to run the PowerShell script on individual machines.
Group Policy
Until now, there have been few options for deploying and managing Windows Always On VPN using Active Directory and group policy. This presents a challenge for administrators who still rely on group policy to manage their endpoints. It is possible to deploy the PowerShell script and XML configuration file using a group policy startup script. However, there are many limitations to this approach. Administrators must learn to properly configure the XML file and manage any configuration updates post-implementation.
Always On VPN DPC
The folks at PowerON Platforms have developed the Always On VPN Dynamic Profile Configurator (DPC) to address these shortcomings. Always On VPN DPC allows administrators to deploy and manage Always On VPN client configuration settings using Active Directory and group policy. Their software comes with Active Directory group policy templates that include all the necessary settings and client software that manages the configuration on the endpoint.
Advanced Features
Always On VPN DPC includes advanced features not included in Microsoft Endpoint Manager/Intune or XML. Here’s a sample of helpful custom settings that can be configured using Always On VPN DPC.
VpnStrategy
Interface metrics
Route metrics
Dynamically updated Office 365 exclusion route list
Are you interested in learning more about PowerON Platforms Always On VPN DPC? Fill out the form below, and I’ll contact you with more information. In addition, you can visit aovpndpc.com to register for an evaluation license.
Special Thanks
I want to extend a special thank you to Leo D’Arcy and the entire team at PowerON Platforms for allowing me to preview this software before its wide release. Also, I’m honored that you have graciously accepted my input and feedback for this solution. I’m consistently amazed at how rapidly you’ve corrected issues and implemented new features at my behest. You are all amazing. Thanks again! 😁
